Methods and systems to ensure correct printing plate usage for encoded signals

Abstract

Substrates and technology for detecting printing plate misuse or mismatch. Such misuse or mismatch may result in multiple, different encoded signal being erroneously included in packaging. One claim generally recites a substrate for a package, hang tag or label, the substrate including: barcode including check digit; printed control icon, the printed control icon comprising a design printed with each of four (4) ink separations, the design comprising plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, rotation indicator corresponding to the check digit, and a plurality of registration indicators, the four (4) ink separations comprising Cyan (C) color channel, Magenta (M) color channel, Yellow (Y) color channel and Black (K) color channel; in which the printed control icon indicates a printing plate mismatch when it comprises more than one (1) observable rotation indicator. Of course, other features, claims and combinations are described as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A substrate for a retail package, hang tag or label, the substrate comprising:
 a barcode including a check digit; 
 a printed control icon, the printed control icon comprising a design printed with each of four (4) ink separations, the design comprising a plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, a first rotation indicator corresponding to the check digit, and a plurality of registration indicators, the four (4) ink separations comprising a Cyan (C) color channel, a Magenta (M) color channel, a Yellow (Y) color channel and a Black (K) color channel; and 
 in which the printed control icon indicates a printing plate mismatch when it comprises the first rotation indicator and a second rotation indication, and in which authenticity of the substrate can be determined based on a displacement from a predetermined center of the central element or a printing plate mismatch can be determined based on the central element. 
 
     
     
       2. The substrate of  claim 1  in which the central element comprises the first rotation indicator and the second rotation indicator, and in which the first rotation indicator comprises a numeric representation of the check digit, and in which the first rotation indicator is positioned at a rotation associated with the check digit. 
     
     
       3. The substrate of  claim 2  in which the plurality of registration indicators comprises a plurality of line segments or hashes. 
     
     
       4. The substrate of  claim 1  in which the printed control icon comprises the first rotation indicator and the second rotation indicator. 
     
     
       5. The substrate of  claim 4  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since the printed control icon comprises an observable color other than black. 
     
     
       6. The substrate of  claim 4  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since the printed control icon comprises a mis-match in two or more color channels. 
     
     
       7. The substrate of  claim 4  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since the printed control icon comprises a mis-registration in two or more color channels for a numeric representation of the check digit. 
     
     
       8. The substrate of  claim 1 , in which the central element comprises a machine-readable encoded signal carried by at least the Cyan (C) color channel or the Black (K) color channel, the machine-readable encoded signal carried through line modifications to the central element. 
     
     
       9. The substrate of  claim 8  in which the machine-readable encoded signal comprises digital watermarking. 
     
     
       10. A method of authenticating the substrate of  claim 1  comprising:
 obtaining image data corresponding to the printed control icon, in which the central element comprises a centroid; and 
 determining if the substrate is authentic through determining a centroid displacement from a predetermined center of the central element. 
 
     
     
       11. The substrate of  claim 1 , further comprising: an ink control strip printed in a trim area or fold area, in which the printed control icon is printed within or adjacent to the ink control strip. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus for evaluating a substrate, said apparatus comprising:
 a spectrophotometer for obtaining data corresponding to the substrate, the substrate including a control icon printed thereon, the control icon comprising a design printed in each of at least a first color channel, a second color channel, and a third color channel, the design comprising a plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, a first rotation indicator, and a plurality of registration indicators, in which the first rotation indicator includes an orientation associated with a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), and in which the design is spatially registered across the first color channel, second color channel and third color channels to form the control icon printed on the substrate; 
 one or more electronic processors configured for: 
 evaluating the data corresponding to the substrate to determine if the control icon comprises the first rotation indicator and a second rotation indicator, said evaluating yielding a determination based on detection of a color other than black within the control icon; and 
 identifying a printing plate mismatch based on the determination, in which authenticity of the substrate can be determined based on a displacement from a predetermined center of the central element or a printing plate mismatch identification can be determined based on the central element. 
 
     
     
       13. A method of printing a substrate for a retail package, hang tag or label, said method comprising:
 printing a barcode including a check digit on the substrate; 
 printing a printed control icon on the substrate, the printed control icon comprising a design printed with each of four (4) inks, the design comprising a plurality of design elements, the plurality of design elements comprising a central element, a first rotation indicator corresponding to the check digit, and plurality of registration indicators, the four (4) inks comprising a Cyan (C) ink, a Magenta (M) ink, a Yellow (Y) ink and a Black (K) ink; 
 in which the printed control icon indicates a printing plate mismatch when it comprises the first rotation indicator and a second rotation indicator, and in which authenticity of the substrate can be determined based on a displacement from a predetermined center of the central element or a printing plate mismatch can be determined based on the central element. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  in which the central element comprises a circle, and the first rotation indicator and the second rotation indicator, in which the first rotation indicator comprises a numeric representation of the check digit, in which the first rotation indicator is positioned at a rotation associated with the check digit. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  in which the plurality of registration indicators comprises a plurality of line segments or hashes. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13  in which the printed control icon comprises the first rotation indicator and the second rotation indicator. 
     
     
       17. The substrate of  claim 16  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since the printed control icon comprises an observable color other than black. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since said printing a printed control icon on the substrate comprises printing with mis-registration between color plates for two or more inks. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16  in which the second rotation indicator is observable since said printing a printed control icon on the substrate comprises printing with mis-registration between color plates for inks printing a numeric representation of the check digit. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , in which the central element comprises a machine-readable encoded signal carried by at least the Cyan (C) color channel or the Black (K) color channel, the machine-readable encoded signal carried through line modifications to the central element. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20  in which the machine-readable encoded signal comprises digital watermarking.